In the News: Endangered Mexican Gray Wolf Once Again Object of Concern

Action Opportunity - Monday February 4, 2013 (posted 02/01/13)

Grant county commissioners, and the Forest Service are meeting to open up restricted roads in the Gila National Forest, and it has environmentalists worried.

The Center of Biological Diversity claims the proposed measure will critically endanger Gila's native wildlife, and plan to rally at the meeting.

They and other environmentalists argue opening up the forest will further endanger animals needing protection, including Mexican gray wolves. The Mexican gray wolf has been the subject of concern for some time.

“The primary threat is the very low population number and the continuing persecution of these animals. The numbers were just 58 wolves and only six breeding pairs in the wild last year, fourteen years after reintroduction began.”

A representative for the Forest Service, Art Telles says that the proposal for increased road access is one of many options, and denied that the process is any more than in the thinking stages.

The meeting will be held at 5:30 p., at the county building in Silver City on Monday Feb. 4.

While all the organizations participating in mexicanwolves.org share the common goal of recovering the Mexican gray wolf, individual groups can, and sometimes do, differ in their approaches to specific issues.